Tag Archive: short-story



My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest PlacesMy Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The world is far too serious. A person needs to step away and see the humor where they can. Here is a step in the right direction.

Have you read Mary Roach’s Stiff? If so, you will need no pushing to pick this up. Ms. Roach has the best sense of humor. This is a dangerous book if you are attempting to be quiet while your partner sleeps. I almost blew a gasket, trying to prevent the laugh-out-loud experience.

I wasn’t thrilled with narrator Angela Dawe’s voice, but I got used to it, and she had a handle on the reader or listener’s funny bones. Mary Roach just told stories about her life, or her take on life, and I can guarantee these situations you have lived through and had similar thoughts but maybe didn’t laugh as hard as the stories caused.

Though this was an Audible, I bet you could pick this up at the library. Give yourself a break for joy.

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My Alien LifeMy Alien Life by J. Martain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don’t know how I heard of this book. It’s been sitting in my currently-reading list on GoodReads for quite a while. I think I loved the title. But it wasn’t what I thought. I finished my last read and was still awake, so I started this. Before I knew it, this book was gone. Oh! Oops! I didn’t realize it was just a novella or short story.

Something about this story reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing. But I guess it was because of being raised a little differently than the norm.

I liked it because it made me think of my grandmothers and wish I had spent more time with them. But other than that, it was too short. I wanted to know what happened next. But that seems to be a standard complaint of mine. All books and stories are too short!

Anyway, this is it if you’re looking for something short and sweet.

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Faerie Knitting: 14 Tales of Love and MagicFaerie Knitting: 14 Tales of Love and Magic by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a delightful bedtime book! Especially the Audible version with January LaVoy narrating. The stories are short enough to do one a night. Normally, I don’t like short stories. But after reading Braiding the Sweetgrass, this felt similar enough not to feel a shock but an excellent way to hear stories of love.

AND the book comes with knitting patterns—even the Audible. I picked up the PDFs and printed them to my knitting folders. I can’t wait to try some of these. Although, I think a few are way beyond my abilities. But the way knitting is woven into the stories is captivating. I’m sorry to be finished with the reading.

If you are unaware of Alice Hoffman, she is the author of Practical Magic, among many others. She writes with the pen of a poet. This particular book is co-authored with her sister. What fun that must have been.

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Live Wire: Long-Winded Short StoriesLive Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories by Kelly Ripa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fun book. Sure, Kelly comes to our living room before coffee, way overdressed for our sloppy morning PJs. I think she had coffee way earlier than we did. Especially here on the west coast. Just a quick aside: Aren’t you tired of waking up to New York if you live here in the west?

Anyway, back to the book. I had the Audible, and I highly recommend ‘reading’ the book this way. Ms. Ripa narrates with the occasional Mark Consuelos addendum. In his voice. You miss that fun interaction between husband and wife in the paper copy.

Not many books hit on the empty nest issues. When you are young and pregnant, there are times when you are overwhelmed by books about expecting or dealing with kids. But the issues of offspring moving into adulthood and how it affects the people left behind are few.

I love that the story is broken into many little stories rather than a point-by-point history autobiography. I highly recommend this bit of entertainment.

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Worn StoriesWorn Stories by Emily Spivack
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After watching the Worn Stories on Netflix, I decided to look this up. I found it on Libby as a Kindle version.

I wish I had found it as an Audible version or paper copy. Text-to-Speech doesn’t stop for pictures. I didn’t feel like stopping the stories just to look at the pictures of old clothes that held no meaning for me. It works better as a show as you see the person talking and their story with their memory clothing. The Kindle version makes it a dry story with no personality.

AND I’m not too fond of short stories. Ever. I wanted a lot more depth. I could deal with each story being a book unto itself.

Don’t we all have those favorite bits of clothes that bring us memories and comfort? I sure do.

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A Plague of ZombiesA Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am going to give this another listen later. I feel I lost something or that it ended far too soon.

I love reading about Lord John. His sense of morality, committed to doing the right thing, propels him more than other men you might read about. He cares deeply and wants to save lives and hearts/

The narrator isn’t as fun as Davina Porter and I think she could have done this book. But Jeff Woodman does a good job keeping the story going.

If you are on an Outlander binge you can’t quit, here is one to help give you your fix.

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Lord John and the Hand of Devils (Lord John Grey, #0.5, #1.5, #2.5)Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I couldn’t leave the world of Outlander. This little book kept me involved for a couple more nights.

Short stories are not my cup of tea. Still, the three stories included kept my interest until the end.

Jeff Woodman, the narrator, held his own covering the characters and most especially our Lord John.

Diana Gabaldon’s wonderful writing and wit show throughout this book. And it did keep me in the Outlander world, sans time travel.

It is worth the read.

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Everything My Mother Taught MeEverything My Mother Taught Me by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely love Alice Hoffman’s writing. I couldn’t resist when I saw this for free on Audible. And this did have her great storytelling. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, was superb.

The story kept me interested. But the end came too soon I didn’t realize it was a short story until it ended. And that is my biggest problem with this audiobook. I don’t like short stories. They leave me wanting more. I want to know what happens next.

Still, it was a delicious story.

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Emily, GoneEmily, Gone by Bette Lee Crosby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bette Lee Crosby writes good stories. This did not disappoint.

At least this mystery wasn’t about murder. I knew that could be done. Still, it is about a kidnapping. It was interesting to see the crime from all sides. The characters are well developed. They keep you reading to see what each person was going through, how would they solve their personal problems. The book showed how love could make their choices harder, or drive them mad in trying to live with it all. Still, it was a hard book to put down.

Though a spiritual path is evident, it isn’t overdone. The characters believe a certain way and it is part of their journey.

By the way, this was free through Kindle Unlimited. Though I like reading Ms. Crosby’s work it is usually more expensive than I can afford, so I am glad they made this one available this way.

As a genre, I think that this could be called a cozy mystery sans murder. I think women may find it better than men, though the men in this book are strong and level headed. But the stories are more about birth and baby loss, so it might be hard for those who have lived through this kind of circumstance.

Otherwise, try it, you might like it!

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Happiness is a CollageHappiness is a Collage by Gita V. Reddy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don’t like short stories. Give me a long series any day. But this book was marvelous! It is a collection of stories of women who have paths of their own and how they deal with cultural, spiritual, educational issues and mix that with those mores of American feminism and ‘modern’ ways of life and these stories seem nearly as truth, not fiction.

If there were more story for each told here I would be happy. Nearly any of these stories can be full novels, that I would love reading. I love the education I pick up as I read of each of these life situations.

This wasn’t a long read. I think it was a couple of nights. With text-to-speech it was often hard to know when I had moved into another story, but other than that I enjoyed Gita V. Reddy’s writing. I think others will like it, too.

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